As for Phillip, I think the Phillip you are talking about died when Belle left. They sort of reseted the character, except the war experience but apparently minus his war injuries, and the last two years there are no signs he should be or he is at the same experience level as the rest of his original age group. Yes, he is CEO of Titan, but only because his father owns the company. And he is still heavily under his control. He is still in training to be CEO as much as Nathan is in training to be doctor. I see no big difference.

And some of us hate the way Philip has been de-aged and softened and pussified and we're entitled to our opinions. He ain't much of a playboy if he's in one relationship where he's constantly telling the woman he loves her and wanting to marry her. Most playboys are defined by dating/screwing multiple women and not being serious about any one of them. Philip in no way qualifies under that definition. We never even see him flirting with anyone other than Stephanie. Basically, he isn't cool, he isn't tough, he isn't sexy or charming any more. He's just some guy who's a perpetual victim and who doesn't know his ass from his elbow unless Victor tells him the difference. That isn't how I like him at all. In fact, when he's like this, I don't like him, period.

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you probably think she should be fighting with Mia, etc.

IMO Melanie is out there in a no-man's land age-wise. She is the ONLY character on the show in her age range right now. She doesn't have a single candidate to be a female friend other than Maggie. I thought the whole point of bringing Nathan on was to give her an age-appropriate love interest, and the other spoilers Angie posted bear that out a little more. I could easily see a Melanie/Nathan/Stephanie triangle, though I hate to see Stephanie having to compete with Melanie for a man--but leave Philip out of it.